


What's in the Middle

by romanrogers



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Ableism, Blind Ian, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 03:44:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5852722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanrogers/pseuds/romanrogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey, for the first time ever, broke the silence. “What’s it like?” He asked, “Being blind I mean.”</p>
<p>Ian considered the question for a moment, “It’s sort of like permanently floating in empty space,” Ian paused, swallowing. “When you think, like really, really think, and bring pictures and thoughts to your mind and stuff- you know that feeling you get when you realize that what you are picturing is abstract. Nothing is really there it’s all lacking and vacant,” He sighed. “Kind of like a wormhole swallowing you in on yourself,” He concluded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's in the Middle

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this for a while now, I figured it was about time I upload.

Ian prided himself on his ability to make things work, like being blind as a fucking bat for example. Ian could deal with that. He can usually tell whenever something is within near proximity and can walk around well enough, just needing his glasses to hide his eyes and a walking stick.

Lip helps Ian walk from school, to his job, and home but otherwise he is very self-reliant. He works at a local Kash n’ Grab convenience store out a few blocks away from Debbie and Carl’s elementary school. The rate of robberies almost doubled with Ian’s employment, he doesn’t know why Linda bothers keeping him but he’s making money so there are no complaints on his end.

Linda decided to hire a security guard to help out around the store, says his name is Mickey. Ian guesses it’s more convenient to just hire someone new rather than fire the only person who works here or continue on with the stream of taken inventory. He sighs when she’s done with introductions and hunches himself over the counter, leaning on one hand while he waits for the shift to be over. He absentmindedly taps his fingers against the front counter, unaware of the annoyed glare being sent his way.

“Hey shades, can you knock it the fuck off,” Mickey snaps. Ian jolts and mumbles an apology, leaning away from the table as he spoke.

The bell to the store rang and Ian looks back up trying to track the movement of the shuffling. Mickey stared dumbfounded as the guy grabs what he wants and walks straight past the front counter towards the door while that Ian dude does nothing. “You pay for that or you lose a fucking arm, got it?” Mickey ordered.

Ian held his hand out on the table as the money was slapped onto the counter. Ian huffed and felt around for it as Mickey exploded. “What the fuck is wrong with you, you were just gonna’ let him walk in here and take whatever he wanted? What are you? Blind?” Ian spluttered,“Uh, well yeah.” Ian replied.

He heard some strangled sounds along with a, “Oh shit, really?” Ian looked up in his general direction, “Yeah really.” And rung up the money into the cash register as Mickey let out a breathy exhale, “Man that’s pathetic, a blind guy workin’ as a cashier.” Ian grunted and looked down as he subconsciously fiddled with his glasses.

Mickey moved to sit behind the counter, grabbing a spare chair and pulling it up against the wall. He picked up a magazine he saw laying on the floor and flipped through it mindlessly.

Ian sat in his chair stewing silently with a hard set to his jaw. He was not pathetic because of his disability. Sure it was troublesome but that’s a given considering. He continued to boil in silence when the ring of an opening door snapped him out of his thoughts. He heard Lip’s voice come from somewhere to his left, “Hey man, you ready to go yet?”

Ian looked up at his brother and shrugged, “I think I still got a few minutes, what time is it?” Lip sighed and looked towards Mickey, “Hell if I know, hey you in the back- do have a watch or something?” Ian heard some movement and the deep answer, “7:58” Lip made a noncommittal sound and picked himself up and sat on the counter then swung his legs over so he was sitting facing Ian. “We’ll go in two,” he said nudging Ian.

“You know what’s for dinner tonight?” Ian asked. Lip nudges Ian’s arm with his leg, “Fiona got more piss food so we’re getting the good stuff. We’re talking government job, two kids. ” He replied. Ian looked up excitedly.

“Sweet, what a catch,” Ian grinned.

“I know.” Lip agreed. 

Ian placed the keys to the store on the counter and looked over to where he presumed Mickey sat, “My shift is over, since you’re security guard I guess it’s your official ‘duty’ to lock up now so I’ll be headed out.”

Ian grabbed Lip’s arm and unfolded his cane, tapping the ground to check for anything standing in his way. “It’s all clear, come on we need to get home before Kev and Veronica get there or we’ll be left with the scraps.” Lip yanked Ian along walking at a fast pace and opened the door for Ian as he ushered him to move faster.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Frank stumbled in from the front door with a bottle in his hand and waved it around in an obnoxious fashion to signal his entrance. Fiona, Lip. Ian, Debbie, and Carl looked up curiously at the sound of the shutting door and saw a bloodied Frank.

He hiccupped and dropped the bottle on the ground and the glass shattered across the floor. Fiona gasped with a start and placed a hand over her mouth. His shirt was bloody and covered in mud, as well as ripped in several different places and Ian realized with anger that it was his favorite shirt.

“Is that my shirt,” he asked walking around the couch. Ian came to stand in front of Frank with a furrowed brow. Frank looked at him and sat up straighter, making himself taller, “Yeah.” He said as he began to walk forward threateningly. Ian swallowed nervously, his voice shaking slightly, “Um, I-I was just asking,” he said as he began to shuffle back skittishly.

Frank continued to walk forward slowly crowding Ian against the wall and violently head butted him. Ian’s head slammed back against the wall and he fell to the floor in pain. Frank kicked him to the side to walk past him as Ian let out a guttural scream.

The shards of glass on the floor scratched against Ian’s eyes before he could bring his hands up to cover his face and when Frank moved him the glass was gouged into his eyes. Ian cried and yelled loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood, he could barely feel the hands gripping at his arms and shoulders as he was dragged to the ER. 

Everything hurts. Why does it hurt so bad? Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop!

Ian woke with a gasp, sitting upright. He brought a hand to his chest and tried to calm his erratic heartbeat. He breathed heavily and tried to steady himself, Ian was drenched with sweat and the cool night air made him shiver slightly. Ian sighed and laid his head back against his pillow and turned over hoping to at least get a few more hours of sleep. He didn’t.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

I think it was safe to say Ian disliked Mickey. If it wasn’t for that comment he made during their first meeting, then it was surely how disrespectfully he treated Kash or how he sold drugs while they were both on shift or how he beat a man bloody just the other day for trying to pay Ian off short at the counter. It was for all of those reasons and more why he never intentionally provoked him or tried to speak to him unless he really had to.

The fitful jingling of the bell caused Ian to look up curiously, he heard the familiar rustling movement of the blinds. Ian paused from putting the chips on the rack, he turned to Kash who was standing next to him and directing him on where to put the items. “Who is it?” he asked curiously. “Mickey, he’s peeking through the blinds, he’s hiding I think.” Kash replied. No shit Sherlock.

Mickey turned then, silently stalked over to the two and looked between them, “Someone is about to come lookin’ for me-“ he was interrupted by the opening of the door again. “Shit!” He whispered, Mickey ducked down and ran behind another shelf.

A deep, chain smoker-like voice came from the front of the store saying, “Any of you seen Milkovich here?” Ian was at a loss for words and Kash didn’t say anything either, “Well?” They said again but this time with more anger in their voice. 

“I thought I saw him run past here towards the middle school down a few blocks away but I could have been wrong, it’s hard to see anything clear with these sun glasses on though,” Ian said finally. He turned back to continue stocking inventory when he heard a thanks before the door was roughly shut behind them.

There was a long silence before Mickey snorted which morphed into full on laughter, “What a fucking idiot, you had your cane with you and everything and he still-“ he broke off into more chuckles. Ian felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked in the general direction that the arm came from, “Well you didn’t guess it at first either so.” Ian shrugged.

“Thanks, I owe you one.” Was all Mickey said before he sauntered to the back door and walked away. Kash didn’t think he made the right choice letting Mickey get away with whatever he did and he made sure that Ian knew that too with frequent, passive aggressive comments about it. Ian couldn’t care less about his opinion though.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Ian avoids Frank nowadays. The rage he experiences every time he sees, or ‘hears’ him, is frightening and his nightmares become more vivid, so Ian figures it’s just easier to not instigate anything with him. But sometimes it’s unavoidable, this is one of those times.

Ian was standing behind the counter and Mickey was doing one of his drug deals near the back of the store. They kind of had an unspoken agreement that Mickey could do his business here so long as it doesn’t interfere with how he does his job.

The front door opened and the sound of dragging feet could be heard as the man who entered walked around the store. When he reached the counter Ian noticed he reeked of booze and cigarettes and inwardly cringed as he began to speak.

“Ian! My own progeny,” he slurred. “Got any money I can borrow?“ Ian tilted his head to the side and sneered at Frank. “No,” he lied, “and if I did, why the fuck would I give it to you?” Frank grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked across the table causing Ian lose his grip on his walking stick. Frank breathed heavily in his face making Ian screw his eyes shut and wrinkle his nose in disgust. His breath was disgusting.

“Because, you ungrateful little shit-” The man yanked harder on his collar drawing him in even closer, “I give and give to this family and what do I get in return? Nothing! You should show me some respect you fucking pansy!” Ian’s anger flared. What has he given Ian other than his dreams ripped away from him? Ian reared his head back and head butted Frank with as much force as he could from his current angle.

Frank reeled back from the impact and dragged Ian along with him. Ian toppled over on top of Frank with a grunt. Ian could vaguely hear Mickey shout but was drowned out by Frank’s talking.

“You ungrateful son of a bitch, you’re just like your mother!” He grabbed Ian by the shoulders and switched their positions slamming Ian onto the ground causing his glasses to fall somewhere off to the side. Frank began to strike at Ian while Ian reached in the gap between Frank’s arms and tried to either strangle him or push him away, he wasn’t even sure. 

Blood pooled in Ian’s mouth and he spat it out on Frank’s face in response just before Mickey dragged him off Ian. “Hey you asshole, ever fucking touch him again, I’ll find you and I’ll kill you.” Mickey said. “Got it?” Ian heard Frank laugh patronizingly before Mickey literally kicked Frank out of the store.

It only took Ian moments to remember his glasses and an intense feeling of panic hit him. He felt around frantically on the floor and hunted desperately for them. Everything was background noise, it’s like being detached from reality. Ian broke out into a cold sweat and it became harder for him to breathe. He couldn’t find them. He couldn’t find them. Oh no. Oh god please no, he can’t find them. He can’t- It wouldn’t- They were- If he doesn’t find them- Oh god. Ian didn’t realize he shaking until he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Another hand grabbed Ian’s and placed his glasses firmly into his.

He let out a shaky breath of relief and tried to think more clearly. “Kash?” he asked. “Mickey.” Came the reply. Ian took another deep, calming breath and turned his head towards the hand on his shoulder, “Thank you.” He slipped his glasses on shakily and sighed in relief.

“No problem.” Mickey paused, “You alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine but uh-“ he broke off audibly gulping, “Did you…see? “

“No, I didn’t see,” Ian nodded and wiped at some of the blood streaming out of his nose. Ok. He is fine. Nobody saw. Everything is fine.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Fiona threw a fit when she saw Ian after he got home.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Ian and Mickey became somewhat closer after that, like friends but not quite. Ian supposes Mickey feels a sort of duty towards him, charity project of sorts. He isn’t complaining though. There are less pregnant silences in the workplace now but Ian has a feeling it’s the opposite for Kash. He may even go as far to say Mickey fucking loathes him even and Ian is pretty sure the sentiment is returned. Every now and again when Ian leaves the room with those two together, when comes back again the air is static with tension. It keeps Ian on the tips of his toes whenever this happens.

Ian also sometimes gets the feeling that someone is watching him and he isn’t sure whether or not it is Kash or Mickey, but whoever it is, it makes his skin crawl. Ian is not sure if he wants to know either, if he said anything it would just make things more awkward for himself.

One day when Ian was stocking up on the shelves when there is a loud thump heard from the back of the store. The thump is soon followed by the sounds of bent plastic, breaking glass and loud voices.

Ian walked towards the back of the store so he could hear better and was able to catch on slightly to the conversation. “-You fucking creep. If I ever find you looking at his ass again I’ll fucking end you. Got it Houdini?” It was Mickey’s voice he heard. “Mickey? Kash? What’s going on?” Ian asked walking slowly towards them. 

Lip chose that moment to walk in the store. “Ian?” Ian felt his way over to where Lip stood and put a hand on his arm. “Hey, where’s Mickey and Kash? Don’t they usually help around here?” Ian nodded. “Yeah but-“ he started just before Mickey came back from the back and cut him off saying, “What’re you doin’ here, it’s early? You don’t usually pick him up til’ 8.”

“I need to pick Ian up early, it’s a family thing.” Lip said guardedly.

Ian looked to Lip, “Why what’s wrong, did Frank do something again?”

“Monica’s back.” Lip stated. Ian’s head shoots up and he pales, “What?” Lip sniffed, “Come on, I’ll explain along the way.”

Ian shook his head and swallowed before moving to lean on the front counter. “I’m staying here, pick me up at the usual time. I don’t want to see her.” Lip sighed angrily and turned to leave the store. Ian could feel the familiar coldness of dread spreading throughout his body. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Monica means Frank and Frank means vivid dreams.

“Who’s Monica?” Mickey asked once Lip left the store. “My mother.” And Ian left it at that.

Ian walked back to his original spot so that he could continue stocking the store and chose to change the subject, “So what’s the deal with you and Kash, I heard you guys fighting in the back.”

Mickey huffed, “Mind your own fucking business.”

“He’s a nice guy cut him some slack, alright?” Ian exasperated.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just do your fucking job will, ya.” He replied

Ian never got that crawly feeling on his skin again at work after that day.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Monica took Ian to a club and even though he couldn’t see, he could feel and that was a magical feeling. The music was so loud that the room vibrated and every person was a warm mass moving in waves to the beat that Ian quickly caught on to. Monica and Ian danced to their hearts content and soon a pair of hands that were definitely not his mother where placed on his hips.

Ian leaned back into the touch and let out a breathy exhale as the man breathed out slowly on his neck and whispered in his ear, “Let’s get out of here.” Ian was so drunk on euphoria and alcohol he mindlessly agreed as the man lead him to an abandoned room in the back of the club.

He roughly pushed Ian against the wall and licked a long stripe up his neck. Ian let out a happy breath pushing back against the warm body behind him. The man nipped at Ian’s neck and brought his hand to Ian’s chin to turn his face to his so that they could kiss properly. “What’s your name,” Ian managed to stutter out. He let out a hushed whisper against Ian’s lips, “Lloyd.”

Ian opened his mouth and tilted his head to further deepen the kiss and the man slipped his tongue into Ian’s mouth. He must not have cared that Ian was blind or he was just stupid was Ian’s last coherent thought before things got even heavier.

*

Ian has no clue where he is, he lost Monica in the club and Lloyd left shortly after their encounter. Ian walked around blindly for a while before he remembers his phone that Monica bought. 

Ian held his phone closer to his ear and tried to awkwardly navigate to his contacts to call Lip. When he managed to get to Lip’s contact he pressed what Ian hopes to be the dial button and waits to hear the phone ring. Success! Ian smiles with relief when Lip answers and cups the phone to his face so that he can hear Lip better.

“Lip? Hey Monica took me to a club and I don’t know where I am, can you come get me?” Ian slurred.

“Jesus christ Ian, are you drunk?” he hears Lip say.

Ian giggles, “Yeah, I feel amazing but can you come get me please? I’m really lost.”

“Yeah, yeah where are you?” Lip sighs.

“Ummm…” Ian backtracks “Somewhere in Boys Town, I think.”

“Ok I’ll be right there- don’t move,” Lip stresses.

“Alright, alright, I’ll be fine,” Ian says, drawing out the last syllables.

When Lip picks him up he is annoyed to say the least, “Fiona will have your ass,” he says but Ian is too drunk to care.

“I got laid,” Ian replies, changing the subject.

“Holy shit, man, seriously?” Lip asks, “You haven’t done that since the-“

“Since the thing, yeah I know,” Ian interrupts. “It was great.”

He hears Lip shift in his seat, “Yeah okay, I don’t need details.”

Ian laughs and tilts his head back happily.

Mickey asks him about the mark on his neck the next day at work but he sounds more angry than curious. Ian doesn’t get why he wants to know in the first place, but whatever.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Ian woke up in a cold room that smelled of rubbing alcohol and sickness. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. It wasn’t black, it wasn’t white it was just pure void. His fingers twitched and his toes began to wiggle. Ian’s shoulders shook with fear. He couldn’t see. He can’t see. He swallowed thickly and tried to remember what happened.

A voice came from in front of him saying, “Mr. Gallagher, I’m sorry but the surgery didn’t go as planned, while the shards of glass where being removed, the scalpel accidentally disconnected your retina and later caused a mild congenital clouding of the cornea.” The voice paused, “You will never be able to see again.”

The pain in his eyes almost felt real again. A vivid reimagining of how horrid it felt. It hurt so bad and Ian never remembered ever feeling so hopeless. That feeling ate at him until he couldn’t even stand the ghostly feeling of how it felt when he actually felt it.

The setting changed and yet it didn’t. He was so happy, that he almost couldn’t fathom the drastic change. This is probably the happiest he has been since the diagnosis. He could vaguely hear Monica excuse herself from the table over the sounds of chatter at the table and he shrugged it off. The turkey tastes so good. 

Ian takes his walking stick and taps his way to the kitchen to get some more cutting knives. He goes to the sink and feels for the third drawer down when suddenly he slips. His walking stick falls out of his reach and his head hits the tiles with a dull thud. His back is wet. He fumbles, trying to get up but then slips again falling face first onto the floor. The familiar taste of blood sloshes throughout his mouth. He hears people gather behind him and Fiona gasps. “Call 911,” he hears someone say, he doesn’t know who because he can barely hear who’s voice it is over his screams as he pieces together what he has fallen in.

Ian wakes with a jump. He was in the Kash n’ Grab and Mickey is reading an old magazine behind him. Everything is fine. Ian is fine. He is okay.

“Yo, you doin’ ok?” He heard Mickey ask. Ian turned, “Yeah, just dozed off for a second there.” Neither of them said anything for a while as they sat in a comfortable silence. Ian heard the familiar scrape of a chair being placed next to his. He tilted his head in the direction the noise came from.

“You talk in your sleep, you know that?” Ian shrugs and fiddles with the ends of his jacket.

“You sure, you’re alright?” Mickey asks, “You’ve been acting weird since after Thanksgiving.”

Ian feels an irrational anger begin to well up within him, “Why do you care,”

He can hear Mickey lean back further into his seat, “I don’t,” he says gruffly. His voice gets deeper and more irritable sounding when Mickey gets defensive, Ian notices.

Ian sighs and tilts his head down towards the table and scratches the back of his neck. He clears his throat awkwardly, he can’t just say ‘My mom slit her writs in the kitchen last week, I fell in it. Found her half dead.’ He breathes in deeply, “Just haven’t been sleeping well lately.” Ian finishes lamely.

There is a long silence between the two. It’s not uncomfortable, more of a quiet understanding. Mickey leans forward and pats Ian’s back twice and that’s the first time Ian ever felt this unique sense of quiet intimacy with another person who wasn’t family. Except this closeness felt different in a way that made Ian’s stomach do flips in on itself. And he was okay with that feeling.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

It’s a particularly slow day at the Kash n’ Grab and Ian is so mind numbingly bored. Mickey doesn’t have any drug business today, so he can’t listen in on conversations or jokingly bitch at Mickey for doing his business out in the open. Ian hates this feeling of boredom, he is bordering on homicidal. He has half a mind to call Lip or Carl and have them hang around the store until his shift is over but he won’t. They’re probably busy anyways.

Mickey is flipping through a new magazine issue that Linda brought to sell in the store, ‘Times Magazine’ he thinks it’s called, and Ian can’t help but feel envy. At least he can read, Ian can’t even see. Then an idea forms in Ian’s head.

“Hey Mickey,” Ian starts.

“What?” He answers irritably.

“Can you read to me?” Ian asks.

There is a long, drawn out silence and Ian begins to regret saying anything. Maybe this is the last straw and Mickey is finally going to beat him up. Maybe he’s-

Ian’s train of thought was interrupted by Mickey’s voice reading the first paragraph of an article about penguin populations. Ian tries smothers a pleased smile and doesn’t see the faint pleased expression on Mickey’s face at succeeding in getting Ian to smile for the first time. And is also when Ian comes to the realization that they are sort of actually friends.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

The Gallagher family has been having a bad streak of luck this summer. Debbie is getting hassled at the public pool, Fiona had a fling with an old flame from high school and is being harassed by his crazy ass fucking wife, Carl is best friends with some drug dealer and is doing god knows what, Lip knocked up Karen and Ian is still blind so every day essentially sucks for him.

Mickey is reading to Ian a riveting magazine column about space wormholes and time travel when someone comes running into the store and frantically ducks behind the front counter. She breathes raggedly and leans against Ian’s leg as she catches her breath looking up to Ian and shushing him urgently.

The opening and slamming of the front door alerts Ian to another’s presence. The voice yells, “Where the fuck, is Fiona Gallagher?” Ah, so this is the lady tormenting my lovely sister, note the sarcasm, Ian thinks.

The woman comes up and started… pointing? Either that or shaking her finger in his face Ian assumes. He can feel the air wafting towards him in large forceful waves and the woman screeching so loud that Ian can’t discern what all she is saying, save for a few immaculate pauses in between syllables.

Mickey immediately came to stand next to Ian, placing a hand on his shoulder and another to push the girl back slightly. “Alright lady, I’m gonna have to ask you buy something or get the fuck out or I’ll have no choice but to rearrange your face. Got that?” He asks. 

Ian can hear the woman scoff and cuss them out under her breath before backing up and walking away. When the door closes Ian lets out a deep exhale and looks down at Fiona bewilderedly.

“I told you, Ian. That guy’s wife is a fucking psychopath.” She continues, “She is stalking me and yelling at me through a megaphone in her car. She’s even throwing shit at me now!”

Ian had to laugh at that. Fiona pinched his arm, “This isn’t funny,” she complains.

“It kind of is.” He grins, “You pick the shittiest, most pussy footed guys.”

Fiona nudges him, “Oh, like you’re any better.” God, Fiona- Mickey is right there shut up, Ian thinks.

Ian turns his head to Mickey, “This is Fiona.” He said before adding, “My sister.”

“Yeah, I guessed that.” Mickey says.

Ian sends Mickey a dry look before turning back to Fiona, “You should get back to the house, do some recon with Carl and Debs then me and Lip can mess with her and scare the fucking bitch off.”

“ Sure thing but do you have anyone to walk you home today? Lip didn’t come home last night.” Fiona tells him, standing back up.

“I’ll figure something out.” Ian replies. “Here, let me walk you outside.”

Ian unfolds his walking stick and walks with Fiona out to the door and opens it with an exaggerated bow. Suddenly something crashes near the front door with a loud cracking sound against the pavement. “Shit!” Both Ian and Fiona exclaim while Mickey shouts, “Fuck!”

Ian feels someone yank him back roughly by his arm. He hears Fiona say, “That crazy motherfucker!” then the door slams shut as she runs out the door.

“What was that?” Ian asked breathlessly.

“A brick or something,” he paused, “What the fuck did your sister do anyways?” 

“Slept with a married man.” Mickey snorted and let go of Ian’s bicep.

“I know, I laughed too.” Ian said and began walking back to the front counter.

“Hey, you need someone to walk you home right?” Mickey asked.

Ian nodded his head in response, “Yeah?”

“I’ll walk you.” Mickey said.

Ian paused before sitting down in his chair. Mickey wanted to walk him home? Ian felt extremely flattered. He didn’t bother to say thanks because Mickey would probably get all angry sounding and be a bitch about it.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Lip doesn’t walk Ian home anymore and Ian isn’t too bothered by that fact anymore, Lip is too tied up in his own shit and that’s fine. Lip and Ian are currently fighting over a comment Ian made about Karen and Lip was being a little bitch about the whole situation but Ian has Mickey. Mickey is Ian’s friend and even the thought itself makes Ian’s stomach fill with butterflies.

They walk places together and even talk outside of work now. When Mickey sees Ian on the street, he immediately comes to talk him even when he’s with other people. Ian feels strangely secure with Mickey and it’s a feeling that he hasn’t experienced much since going blind and It makes Ian feel whole for once. Mickey always places a hand on his arm to lead him or on the middle of his back in a subtle protective hold.

Ian doesn’t know how it started but Ian and Mickey began to take detours before reaching the Gallagher house. Mickey took Ian to abandoned warehouses and on the tops of old parking buildings that he found when he was a little kid. Right now they sat in the center of a little baseball ring near the middle of town that they both used to play little league in.

This was one of those rare times that Ian loved where they both sat in a content silence. They didn’t need to talk and all they could feel was the summer night breeze and the heat coming from the other’s body. When Mickey sat in comfortable silence like this, it was his own way of being vulnerable with Ian even though he couldn’t see it.

Mickey, for the first time ever, broke the silence. “What’s it like?” He asked, “Being blind I mean.”

Ian considered the question for a moment, “It’s sort of like permanently floating in empty space,” Ian paused, swallowing. “When you think, like really, really think, and bring pictures and thoughts to your mind and stuff- you know that feeling you get when you realize that what you are picturing is abstract. Nothing is really there it’s all lacking and vacant,” He sighed. “Kind of like a wormhole swallowing you in on yourself,” He concluded.

Ian could feel Mickey looking at him but he stubbornly continued to stare up unseeingly into the night sky. When Mickey tapped his arm as a signal to get going Ian sighed and heaved himself up.

“Me and Lip are fighting,” Ian told Mickey as they started walking.

“How come?” Mickey asked.

“I called his married, pregnant not-girlfriend a whore and he’s throwing a bitch fit about it,” Ian replied. “It’s probably not even his, she’s fucking at least 20 other people other than Lip and her husband that I know of.”

Mickey didn’t reply for a while, “When my family has beef with each other, we fight it out.” He says. “Too many men in a closed space is bound to drive someone fucking nuts, you should take it out on each other before you take it out on someone else.”

Ian chuckled humorlessly, “I would not mind bashing his dumb face in.”

“So do it, you’ll feel better,” Mickey told him.

Ian took Mickey’s advice. Lip and him are square again, for now.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Sunday morning, child protective services came around again just before Ian was going to go to work. He doesn’t know how or why they showed up, the Gallagher’s haven’t been on their radar since five years ago in 2010. Ian sighs and leans his head against the window.

The lady who took them away is just like anybody else. She sends glances filled with pity their way and it makes Ian’s skin burn. Whether it’s with embarrassment or anger, he doesn’t know yet.

“You guys okay?” She asks lightly. Definitely anger Ian decides.

“Not our first time in the rodeo.” Lip replies evenly. “Because Liam is still cute and little, he’ll go to a lovely home with people who really want a family but waited so long that their egg batter rotted so they can’t have one of their own.”

Ian lifted his head and talked next, “And Debbie and Carl will be placed together because-“ Ian gestured at Debbie.

“Because the state always tries to keep siblings together.” She finishes.

“And Lip and I can handle whatever foster nut jobs that we end up with.” Ian says lastly.

Lip began to chuckle, “Remember that last guy with the uh, what was it, a fucking bathroom peephole?”

“Oh yeah,” Ian remembered with a grin.

“Well this time is going to be a little different.” The social worker cut in.

“I’ve placed Liam and Carl together, but Debbie, unfortunately, has to be placed separately.” She was about to say more when Debbie interrupts her.

“Wait, all by myself?” She asks worriedly. Ian nervously scratches at his neck and places a hand on Lip’s arm and squeezes slightly to calm himself down.

The woman carries on anyways, “And Philip and Ian are too old to be placed so they will be put in group homes, but due to Ian’s…” she pauses, “Condition, he will be put into one that specializes in children with disabilities.”

Ian chokes down his anger and anxiety and resigns to laying his head back against the window. Lip pats him on the back reassuringly and squeezes his shoulder in an attempt to comfort Ian.

Ian’s stop is first, he considers running. He wonders how far he can get if he starts now but then again how far can a blind guy get without seeing where he’s going. Lip could probably hold the other people off while he ran but that would just get Lip into deep shit.

He unfolds his walking stick from his pocket and feels his way out of the car with Lip’s help. They stand on the pavement for a moment before Lip envelops Ian in a bone-crushing hug. “You’ll be taken care of, alright. Don’t worry.”

“You either,” Ian replies.

They let go of each other and Ian kisses Liam on the top of his head and opens his arms for Debbie and Carl. He hears somebody clear his throat from behind him with annoyance. Ian turns back and glares at him through his glasses.

He looks back at Debbie, Carl, Liam, and Lip and gives them what he hopes is a comforting smile then waits for the man to lead him to the house. He hears the man clear his throat again, and Ian sighs and glares in his direction again.

“Hey ass hat, I can’t see and I don’t know where I’m supposed to walk. Mind doing your job and leading me?” Ian asks angrily.

He hears Lip laugh before the car door is shut and the engine revved as it drove off. The man grabbed Ian’s arm roughly and yanked Ian along not even warning him when they neared the door. Ian’s shoulder slammed hard into the doorframe and he crinkled his nose in a sneer of pain. And the guy had the gall to laugh, that fucking dick.

Ian was lead into a cold room with a man talking unintelligibly to another person. The boy next to him dragged him along closer to the other guy talking. Ian sighed when the guy introduced himself and explained the routine. Blah, blah, blah of course he’s going to need help going to school. That’s kind of a no brainer. Chores? What is this a fucking slave house? The fuck I’m doing chores Ian thought angrily. Apparently the only places we’re allowed to go are school and straight back here. That isn’t going to work.

“Well, what if you have a job? Am I allowed to go there before I come here?” Ian asked.

“Well that’s never the case, no one gives jobs to people with the disability that you experience.” The man answered condescendingly.

“Really? Well that’s bullshit.” Ian replied, “I have a job.”

“Oh, what do you do?” He queried sarcastically.

“Cash register at a convenience store, I also stock the shelves.” Ian said. “Listen call my boss and she can tell you the same thing.”

“That isn’t necessary, you won’t be going there anymore.” He replied. “I am also going to have to ask you to turn in any wallets, money, phones, or any other electronic devices.”

Ian gaped, “You’re not going to let me go to my fucking job? I’m going to get fired!”

“That isn’t a concern here, now please turn in your personal items.” The guy says.

Ian digs his hands in his pockets and drops 4 dollars worth of change on the floor out of spite, looking at the man with a steely gaze.

Ian can hear his voice go a few octaves higher out of annoyance and Ian internally commends himself. “Roger, please show Ian to his room.”

*

Roger, the dick that Ian has to deal with for now, has been formally assigned the position of walking him around from place to place. He is a volunteer worker and Ian hates him with a burning passion heated by the deepest fires of hell. He is so infuriating Ian is actually considering murder to be a logical option of getting out of spending time with him.

Roger goes to the same school as him so he comes to pick Ian up from the group home in the morning to ride a bus to their school. Which essentially means he has to sit next to an annoying prick for an hour as he subtly taunts Ian with speared words that mock him.

When they finally get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to school Roger leaves Ian near the entrance of the school to talk to one of his friends, leaving Ian lost and on his own. Ian breaks into a nervous sweat and doesn’t know where to turn. He starts tapping his walking stick against the ground and walks in a random direction to try and figure out where to go next Suddenly a hand grabs him by his shoulder and pulls him back then aggressively slams him against a hard surface. “Shit, what the hell-“ Ian starts to say”

“Where the fuck where you yesterday, shithead?” Mickey asks angrily.

“Mickey? Why are you here at school?” Ian looks at him bewildered.

Mickey pulls him away from the wall slightly and hits him on the back of his head, “Don’t fucking change the subject, I’m waiting for an answer to my question.” 

“Social services pulled us from our house, they put me in some shit group home and they won’t let me go to work” He told him sourly.

He sighs, “Is Linda angry?”

“I’m surprised she didn’t have a fucking ulcer… I covered for you.” He told Ian. “Then I went to your house to check on you and no one was fucking there.”

It dawned on Ian that Mickey actually cared. That made Ian really happy.

“You went to my house?” He teased.

“Fuck off, I’ll walk you to your class,” Mickey replied and kicked Ian in the leg as he walked.

Ian found Lip after his first class and they cut class the rest of the day, smoking, hanging out behind the school, and bitching about their foster care placements. Lip got a kick out of the fact Ian has to rely on ‘Donkey Dick’ Roger Spikey in order to do anything. Lip nudges him and asks if the nickname is true and Ian informs him that the only big dick that Roger has on him is his personality.

Ian dreads going back to the group home, he walks outside with Lip and reluctantly says goodbye as he walks away. Ian backs up against a wall and decides that he will wait here for asshole to come pick him up.

“Gallagher!” Ian looks up after hearing his surname.

“Come on, ditch donkey-boy and come hang with me.” Mickey says. “You can crash at my place, “ he adds, sweetening the pot.

Ian smiles and holds out his arm so that they can link them together. He was going to get in so much trouble.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

The Gallagher’s are meeting Steve, no, Jimmy’s, family. Ian doesn’t want to come along, he would much rather be with Mickey listening to him play videogames with his sister Mandy but this is important to Fiona so he’ll slum it for tonight.

Everything was semi-normal until the introductions came. Lloyd. He recognizes that voice. Faint memories of loud music, warm bodies, the blurry haze of alcohol that held a cloud over all proper thought and the hushed grunts of someone grinding into Ian from behind. Shit, that’s Jimmy’s fucking dad. Ian clears his throat and asks for someone to take him to the bathroom, Lloyd volunteers. Great.

“Do they know you’re gay?” Ian asks as soon as they enter the bathroom.

“I’m not gay.”

Ian raises his eyebrows, “Really? Then what was that thing we had back in November?”

“Honestly,” he says, “anything that walks, that’s me.”

Ian doesn’t know what to say to that so he just nods his head. “Okay.”

“You want to meet up again sometime,” Lloyd propositions.

Ian’s mouth quirks to the side, “Okay.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Mickey is talking about his latest lay, Angie, and Ian could not care less about all of the gory details. Ian was envious of Angie. He wished that he could touch Mickey like she or any other girl in Southside could. But Ian knew that it could never happen and that Mickey wasn’t gay so he would accept just the fantasy of it.

“And then she tried to switch positions while I was still in and I almost fucking-“ Mickey was interrupted by the door opening but he continued on anyways. Ian could hear the tap of shoes and the smell of new car and knew immediately who it was.

“A bag of chips, please.” Lloyd said placing them on the counter.

“What are you doing here?” Ian asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I was hungry.” Lloyd replies smoothly.

“So you came all the way to the Southside for a bag of chips.” He clarifies.

“Well,” he drags out, “a bag of chips and a… gingersnap, I’m hoping.” He finishes, leaning in suggestively.

Ian tries to smother a smile and looks down bashfully, “I’m working.” Ian rings up the bag of chips and can all the while feel Mickey’s stare at the side of his face.

“Well maybe at happy hour, I’ll pick you up.” He tries again.

Ian considers the offer, “Yeah, okay.”

Ian can hear Lloyd begin to walk away when Mickey’s voice rings out from next to him, “You got a receipt?”

Ian flushes awkwardly. He hastily rips the paper from the cash register and reaches out his hand so Lloyd can grab it. He does and Ian rubs at his neck with embarrassment until he hears Lloyd leave the store.

“That your grandpa?” Mickey asks.

“Nah, just some guy I’ve been seeing,” Ian replies.

“Oh, that’s the guy you’ve been seeing,” He repeats.

“Yup.”

Ian can hear Mickey lean closer to him. “So what? Do you picnic together or he get you a little dog with a fucking sweater?” 

“No we don’t picnic, we mostly just fuck,” Ian states. “Like you and Angie.”

Mickey doesn’t say much after that, he just picks himself up and walks away towards the back of the store and Ian internally kicks himself. Mickey doesn’t know he’s gay.

*

Ian and Lloyd come down from their hotel room laughing, Ian likes Lloyd he treats him nice. The guy that brushed past him groped him causing Ian and Lloyd to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Did that guy cop a feel?”

“He totally copped a feel,” Ian laughed.

“You got to be kidding, I mean what’s up with that-“ Suddenly Lloyd stops laughing and Ian looks at him curiously waiting for an explanation.

“Oh! From the store right?”

It clicks in his mind, “Mickey? Shit, what’re you doing here?”

Lloyd brushes it off. “Ah, don’t be rude Ian, invite your boyfriend along. I mean the more the merrier am I right-“ 

Mickey cuts him off “I’m sorry, what did you call me?”

Ian knows that tone of voice, that’s the one he uses when shit is about to hit the fan. “Mickey-“

There was a loud sound of flesh hitting flesh and Ian had a pretty good idea of what was happening right now.

“You faggot!” 

“Jesus Mickey!” Ian exclaimed.

“The fuck you call me faggot?” He accentuated his words with another hard sound of flesh hitting against another’s and the sound of bones cracking.

Loud gasps could be heard from all around them and Ian began to panic. He needed to get Mickey off of Lloyd or they were going to get in so much trouble, Fiona can’t know that Ian has a thing with Jimmy’s dad.

Ian bent his knees slightly then ran in the general direction the scuffle came from and rammed himself onto Mickey in a tackle to get him off of Lloyd. Ian heard Mickey yell angrily, Ian looked at him in bewilderment and pushed himself off of Mickey forcefully. “What the fuck, Gallagher?”

“They’re gonna call the fucking cops Mickey!” Ian stressed to him, “Fuck.”

He turned to where he thought Lloyd lied and felt around for injuries on him. “Are you okay?”

“Ian come on!” He heard Mickey yell.

Ian looked at Lloyd with a guilty expression, “Sorry.”

“Gallagher!” Mickey yelled again and this time grabbing Ian by the arm and yanking to his feet, dragging him away and forcing him to run with. They ran and ran until they were both out of breath and Ian was filled with pure, unadulterated rage.  
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked angrily.

Mickey just laughed making Ian’s anger rise even higher. He scoffed at Mickey and shook his head.

“Take me home,” Ian demanded.

“Ian-“

“Just do it, alright.” 

Mickey didn’t make any move to do so for a long moment then he lightly grabbed his arm and lead Ian away from where they currently stood. Neither of them spoke on their walk back and the tension was so palpable you would have to cut through it with a knife.

Mickey stopped walking just outside of Ian’s house and tried again, “I-“

“I’ll see you later, Mickey.” Ian interrupted. 

He touched the walking bar and felt his way up the porch stairs. Ian opened the front door to his house and slammed it shut leaving Mickey outside in the dark.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Fiona called him down early the next day saying someone was here for him. Ian groaned and yelled back, “Fuck off, I’m sleeping!”

Ian could hear her sigh and say something that he couldn’t discern. Ian turned over and stuffed his pillow over the side of his face so he couldn’t hear anything else and fell back into a light sleep. Unfortunately that was interrupted by the creak of bedsprings as someone sat down on his bed behind him.  
“Fiona, for the love of god just give me two more hours, I don’t have to be at work until 3.” Ian said, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow.

The pillow was taken away from over his head and a voice came from above him, “Rise and fucking shine, Cinderella”

Ian squinted his unseeing eyes and stared blankly into the space he assumed was the ceiling, “Mickey?” Ian remembered that he didn’t have his glasses on and lunged for his night table, knocking him to the side. He felt around on the table until he found them and quickly placed them on his face, sighing in relief.

“Relax I didn’t see your eyes,” Mickey told him. “I know you don’t like when people look at em’.”

Ian swallowed and didn’t say anything, he got up from his bed and dug around in the dresser for a clean shirt then shrugged it on. He’ll borrow some of Lip’s pants he decided.

“Hey uh, are you still mad at me?” Mickey asked carefully.

“For waking me up or for beating up my fuck buddy?”

“The latter.” Mickey answered.

Ian shrugged in response. “What did you need me for that couldn’t wait until work?”

He heard Mickey shift awkwardly and the bed creak as he stood up. He walked to Ian and touched his shoulder, turning him around. His breath was fanning out across Ian’s face in hot puffs and Ian’s mouth dropped slightly at their closeness.

Goosebumps began to break out on Ian’s skin and Mickey cleared his throat, leaning in a little closer. “Yo-“

He was interrupted by Lip barging into the room. The moment left as soon as it came and Mickey quickly let go of Ian and moved back a few steps.

Lip whistled, “Whoa, you’re up early.”

“I know, I have a visitor,” Ian said gesturing to Mickey.

He hummed and grabbed whatever he needed then left.

“Wanna hang at my place before work?”

Ian looked at him with raised eyebrows, “You woke me up early to ask me if I wanted to go to your house?” He repeated.

“Early? It’s fucking 10 in the morning!” Mickey exclaimed.

“Still early.”

“Well you want to or not? I’m not going to wait for a goddamn answer all day long here.” Mickey grouched.

“Yeah, yeah I’m coming don’t get your panties in a twist, you dick.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Ian hasn’t seen Lloyd in weeks since the incident but he hasn’t told Mickey that and he is seriously considering doing so to just get Mickey to stop talking about it. Then again, it’s none of Mickey’s business who Ian fucks and he is getting fed up. Mickey talks about his sexcapades all the fucking time and the one time he has an inkling of Ian’s he gets on his ass, not literally, about it.

“So old guys huh,” Mickey says. “That a fetish of yours or?”

Ian hits him hard, “Fuck off, Mickey.”

Mickey laughs and musses Ian’s hair up causing a flush to spread out across his cheeks.

“No but seriously, how can that be good for you?” He jokes.

“Well it’s not like I actually have much to go on,” Ian snaps.

Mickey’s voice gets a little deeper when he talks next, “Is the sex better now that you’re blind?”

Ian is not sure whether he’s joking still but he’ll play along, “Yeah.” He says truthfully.

“Everything is a lot more intense and all there is- is the feeling…” he paused, trying to find the words, “like music,” Ian says. “It has a flow.”

Ian is aware of Mickey’s breath on the back of his neck and he notes how he can feel Mickey’s heat radiating along his back. Ian swallows and bites his lip, not sure what to say or do next.

“You like music?” He asks.

“I like music.” Ian starts, “I still see nothing but it’s a little less nothing than before.”

Mickey leans in a bit, “I play guitar.” He tells Ian.

“Can you play for me sometime?” Ian asks, turning his head towards Mickey.

Mickey moves in even closer and this time his breath fans out across Ian’s face, he is really close. Ian’s eyes lull closed behind his shades and Ian tilts his head up slightly so now he is also breathing in Mickey’s face.

The bell to the front door rings shocking them out of their trance and Ian spins around in his chair, passing it off as the two bumping into each other. Ian clears his throat and swallows down his shock, he feels like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He doesn’t make a big deal out of it though, Ian squares his shoulders as he feels Mickey’s penetrating gaze on his back and Ian could not possibly feel more baffled and confused than he does right now.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

It’s Ian’s birthday today. He doesn’t know why but he feels the beginnings of a funk coming on. Mickey is confusing him, one moment Ian gets in close and he feels the beginnings of something intense… carnal even but then he yanks back and it is like being with a wall of ice. He’s hot and then he’s cold, the mixed signals have Ian’s head spinning.

Ian sat on his porch outside his house and smoked a cigarette. He couldn’t sleep and the quiet house felt too overwhelming to him right then so he sat outside hoping to calm his raw nerves.

Ian breathed in deeply and sighed. He could feel an impending doom begin to cloud in the back of his mind and he felt as though he couldn’t breathe properly. He had a steady breath but his chest felt so numb that he did not receive the gratifying feeling that comes with breathing out.

He leaned his head against the stair bar and wrapped his arms around his knees, looking out unseeingly into the world. He burns out his cigarette, for once he actually had an urge to take his glasses off for once. So he did.

The cool breeze hit his eyes and he blinked. Everything was the same, depressingly so, but hurray for little victories.

Ian sat on the porch until he heard someone settle down next to him. He didn’t know who it was and he did not bother to ask, it was probably Lip anyways. Probably. 

They grabbed his hand and Ian knew immediately who it was from the gently way his rough, calloused hands maneuvered his. He placed something small and box shaped into his hand.

“Almost didn’t recognize you without your shades on. If it weren’t for that fucking red ass hair.” Mickey grumbled. “Anyways, Lip, uh, told me that it was your birthday or whatever. So here.” 

Ian tilted his head down to his hand on instinct and managed a small smile. He started to say thank you when Mickey interrupted him.

“Don’t sweat it just open the damn thing already, will ya’?” He grouched.

Ian smothered down the warmth that began to spread throughout his chest and tried to stifle his spreading smile. 

The box had no wrapping paper so it was fairly easy for him to figure out how to open it. Ian carefully lifted the top of the box and felt the insides for the gift. A long light feeling chord with a metal tip that separated into two separate ones and lead to two earpieces. Ian looked up at Mickey, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Headphones?” Ian questioned.

“Yeah, you said that you like music so I got you some good shit, “ he answered. “Stole it from some joker on the L, some high end brand or something.”

“Thanks Mick, really.” Ian said, “This is really nice of you.”

“Don’t get all teary on me now, Gallagher.” Mickey sniped.

Ian shook his head.

“So your eyes-“ Mickey started.

Ian’s shard of happiness was smashed at those words. He gingerly placed the headphones back into the box and pocketed it silently.

“Yeah?”

“How’d it happen?”

Ian felt bile in his throat and swallowed it down with a shudder. He bit his lip pensively and spoke at last after a minute or two had passed.

“Frank was blackout drunk one night.” He starts, “I mean he’s always drunk but something must have happened that night, I still don’t even know. He’s always hated me the most, I look the most like her.”

“Anyways, he came in fucking drunk and dropped his beer and it shattered and he’s all bloody wearing my favorite shirt.” He scratches his temple and then continues on shakily, “I go up to him and then he head butts me and I fall on the ground and some of the glass scratches my face. Then he kicks me and it got in my eyes and stuff.”

“Fiona and V took me to the hospital but they didn’t help worth a shit. Some newbie doctor’s hand slipped and they detached my retinas while removing the glass, s’ why my eyes are all cloudy.” Ian finishes with a lopsided shrug. “Told it makes people uncomfortable.”

“Frank doesn’t even remember doin’ it. Just figures I got caught up with some druggies or whatever,” he adds as a wistful afterthought.

The silence between them is tense before Mickey breaks it uttering a curse under his breath. Ian feels around for his glasses to put them back on when Mickey’s hand grabs his wrist. “I think your eyes look alright.”

Ian feels amusement begin to curl in his chest, “You comin’ on to me Mick?”

“Fuck off shithead,” he snips back with faux anger. “But really you should care fuck all about what people think.”

“I could tell you the same thing.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Summer is finally here and Ian can’t bring himself to get out of bed today. He plays it off as being sick but he knows what this is and nothing is more terrifying than that. He is turning into Monica.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

He forces himself to leave the house three days later and is greeted by a fuming Mickey when he steps outside. He grabs him by the upper arms and grips him hard enough to leave bruises.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He starts out lividly, “You don’t call, you don’t talk, you didn’t even let me come visit to see if you are okay.” 

Mickey had come over to the Gallagher house at least twelve times over the course of three days and called triple the times he visited but each time Ian told Fiona to send him away and let the calls go unanswered. 

Mickey let go of his left arm and roughly dragged him away, not waiting for Ian to answer him. Ian could feel the rage rolling off him in waves and wasn’t sure if talking would either smother his anger or just make it worse so he stayed silent.

“Answer me.” Mickey snapped at him.

“I was sick, could have caught what I had,” he tried.

“That doesn’t explain why you dodged my calls, you fucker.”

“I was sleeping and when I wasn’t doing that then I was eating or being miserable,” he lied.

Mickey veered off from their path and dragged Ian somewhere that he didn’t quite recognize.

“Where are we going?”

Mickey didn’t answer but his grip tightened on his arm causing it to tingle with pain. Ian winced and continued to be lead by Mickey until he was manhandled into a sitting position on a large chunk of- cement?

Ian could feel Mickey kneeling in front of him in between his thighs and he placed his other hand on Ian’s arm and gripped him too tightly. Ian felt shaken, Mickey has never been this rough with him before. Then it came to him- Mickey was concerned.  
“Mick?”

Mickey let out a long stuttering sigh and loosened his grip on Ian’s arm. He slid them up to grip at Ian’s face gently. Mickey leaned in close and his hot breath spread out on Ian’s face in steady puffs. He stared unseeingly at Mickey from behind his glasses as Mickey brought one hand up to remove them from his face.

Ian felt his breath hitch as Mickey closed the space between them. Their chapped lips brushed ever so lightly. There where no fireworks or any mind blowing epiphanies but there was the sweet satisfied feeling that came with things like breathing and that was one of the greatest things Ian could ever think of feeling.

Mickey grabbed the back of Ian’s head and tilted it so he could press them together more firmly and Ian began kissing him back in earnest. When they broke apart they were so close that they breathed each other’s air and the hot summer day had a renewed sense of intimacy that was new to both of them.

“So… that happened, huh,” Ian said breathlessly.

“Doesn’t mean I’m gonna wear a fucking dress or anything.”

“Nobody fucking asked you to.” Ian huffs, “But I bet that you have really nice legs.”

Mickey snorted and let out a breathy laugh, “You’re a fucking dick.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is sansaasnark, feel free to chat with me-


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